1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a mat-shaped or web-shaped covering for bases, in particular floors, bath and shower tubs and basins, or other foundations. It can thus also for example be a seat covering. The covering is particularly suitable for use in wet areas such as public and private baths, indoor swimming pools and sauna areas, but in principle also as a floor covering for example for factory and office buildings. In one specialised application, the covering forms a caterer's draining mat, which in the wet area of a bar can in particular serve as an underlay for rinsed or generally wet glasses or also crockery and cutlery. Such an application is of course also possible in the home. The invention relates to a covering as a finished product, in particular in the form of a mat, for example a bath or shower tube inlay, as a mat-shaped or rather web-shaped floor covering, but also as a semi-finished product, i.e. as a web product which can in particular be wound on a roller.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the private sphere, bath and shower tub inlays enjoy great popularity, since on the one hand they increase bathing or showering comfort, but on the other hand also substantially reduce the danger of slipping and thus the risk of accidents, particularly for older people and small children. Floor coverings made of plastic also significantly help to reduce the risk of accidents when laid out in passageways or at the edge of the pool in public swimming baths. The danger of slipping is caused by moisture on smooth surfaces and drastically increases when large areas of standing water are formed, i.e. when a film of water is formed. The plastic coverings employed to reduce the danger of slipping comprise perforated treading surfaces, such that a drainage effect is achieved and a closed film of water cannot form on the upper side of the respective covering. The plastic material of the covering is generally foamed in order to reduce the weight of the coverings, achieve a pleasant haptic sensation and also to increase the static friction with the base on which the plastic covering is placed. Good drainage between the upper and lower side of the covering and a sufficient grip on the base ensure safety against the covering slipping.
The plastic coverings of the Sympa-Nova® series have proven effective in practice. The Sympa-Nova® coverings consist of a plastic foam in which a substrate interlace is embedded. In accordance with the shape of the substrate interlace, the basic structure of the covering is lattice-shaped with lines of beaded caterpillar ties and rows of comparatively thinner connecting ties. Between the caterpillar ties and connecting ties, which point at right angles to each other, gaps remain through which water is drained from an upper side of the covering to the floor, to then flow away under the covering.